7 Fun (And Free) Apps Musicians Can Use To Remain Creative At Home

Guest post by Efa Etoroma. This article originally appeared on Soundfly’s Flypaper.

Over the last several years, dozens of apps have emerged to help musicians stay creative while they’re on the go. These applications provide multi-track recording, synths, drum machines, DJ apps to pitch correction and AutoTune applications, in the compact format of a phone or tablet.

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COVID-19: Being A Musician Amidst A Global Pandemic

As COVID-19 spreads across the world, I see musicians getting hit hard.

Concerts cancelled. Work lost. Jobs temporarily gone. 

The coronavirus and musicians seem like mortal enemies. It’s scary out there. 

As of March 20, 2020, the CDC reports there are more than 15,000 cases and 201 deaths in the United States from the “coronavirus,” as people are calling it. 

This thing is more than just the flu. And that’s why cities and states have been implementing lockdowns. 

Social distancing (or quarantining for those who are at risk or elderly) is crucial to slowing the spread and ultimately for saving lives. 

So how do we musicians deal with this crisis? We’re stuck indoors, so how can we make the most of this pandemic?

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Accessing Greater Creativity Through Sleep And Dreams

Whether you’re a songwriter, guitarist in a rock band, sound technician, or music educator, there’s a high likelihood that you’re not exactly a morning person. Night owls are rampant within the music industry, especially among touring musicians who typically book gigs at nightclubs, bars, and theatres. Research indicates that this backward sleep-wake schedule can make it difficult to maintain relationships and balance obligations outside of the industry.

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Don't Forget The Other Half

Can you see that in the distance?  That “thing” that keeps getting further and further away in the rear-view mirror?  That’s the shrinking visibility of a distant entertainment microcosm that forced amateurs and professionals alike to be aligned with financially prosperous partners in order to fund, market, and distribute quality content.   

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How Touring Musicians Can Run A Business From The Road

Over the last few decades musicians have had to become more savvy regarding the business aspects of the creative endeavours that they’ve dedicated their lives to. Whether it’s due to the myriad examples of how unsuspecting creatives have been taken advantage of, or the industry shifts that have affected how revenue is made, musicians are taking the development of their business skills almost as seriously as their musical chops. While this adds a certain complexity to musician’s lives, this is also incredibly empowering.

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How To Write A Song In A Single Day

Guest post by Sammy Hakim. This article originally appeared on Soundfly’s Flypaper.

You’re sitting down in your home studio with a cup of coffee in your hand, and your guitar on your lap, and it hits you: writer’s block. Rather than power through it, it makes more sense to take a day off and find a way to get re-inspired, right?

Wrong.

Ask any writer in Nashville and you’ll quickly find out that waiting for inspiration can be a quick death to your career as a songwriter. In fact, even in the Los Angeles and New York markets, writers can often have between one and four co-writing sessions a day — meaning that if they can’t write, they might not be paid.

So how do you train yourself to be able to write a song a day?

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Running A Band From A Project Management Perspective

Find out how to avoid the pitfalls of managing a band like it’s a business; start here, and you’ll be able to move ahead with creating great material, playing great shows, and linking up with the best people in the music industry.

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